Criminal justice system receives overhaul
In an effort to improve the criminal justice system and accommodate the abolition of preliminary enquiries, Cabinet has approved the change to the organisational structure of both the Judiciary and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet news briefing at the Diplomatic Centre in St. Ann’s earlier today, Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan announced that funds have been allocated for increases in both staff and infrastructure.
The Attorney General said the new organisation structure for the DPP will see an increase in staff from 30 to 237, which will include both legal and civil posts.
“The current structure has never been revised since 1976. This is a historic development as it is now revised. It is long overdue since we have been experiencing a rise in crime. The increase in the number of cases is not matched by the staffing,” Ramlogan said.
Ramlogan said the change will cost $16, 391,400 for the establishment of new infrastructure while the cost for the new staffing will be $3,164,739 per annum.
He explained that the DPP has been “stressed to its limit” and so there has been a confirmed 29 post for lawyers in the department. Ramlogan said there will be one Director of Public Prosecutions while there will be now six assistant DPPs.
Ramlogan also said the nation’s magistrates and high courts will also see a change is infrastructure as well as additional staffing.
In order to keep within the time frame for the abolition of preliminary hearings, the Attorney General announced that the courts will hire qualified part-time court transcriptionist. This, he said will attend to the backlog currently facing the judicial system.
“We would like to make the timeline for the implementation of the abolition of preliminary hearings. It depends on how quickly the positions are filled and the response to the advertised vacancies. We are doing our part to meet the stakeholders halfway if be so.”
Excellent!!! If not the best move this government has made thus far. Anyone familiar with the current criminal system would lament the sluggish backward state of affairs. This move greatly increases the manpower of the DPP beyond my expectation and is welcomed with open arms. As an attorney, I have seen too many accused persons fall through the cracks and left to rot behind bars for greater than 10years while the maximum punishment for the crime they committed was a sentence of 3-6months. Well done AG, well done PM, well done, well done well done. May God bless you for this humble service.